UCI SAGE Scholars Annual Report 2022-23

Annual Report 2022-23

A Message from the Director

Dear Valued Community and Philanthropy Partners,

With an unwavering commitment spanning over two decades, the UCI SAGE Scholars Program has stood as a beacon of empowerment and achievement. Guided by purpose, we have transformed the journey of aspiring scholars, nurturing their dreams, and empowering their remarkable success.

In 2023, we celebrated the graduation of 30 exceptional SAGE Scholars, a testament to our dedication to academic excellence and workforce development. Among them, Phi Beta Kappa inductees and Chancellor’s Award recipients exemplified our commitment to fostering brilliance. The SAGE Scholars Program continues to thrive as a high-touch, highly supportive haven, where our students are guided with care and purpose. Through hands-on opportunities, career development, and invaluable mentorship, SAGE prepares our scholars to embrace their UCI education and excel in their chosen fields.

Beyond degrees, our scholars have earned accolades that embody the essence of SAGE — a program that cultivates skills, career readiness, mentorship, and passion. Through meaningful internships and research experience, they have charted courses toward prosperous futures.

This journey transcends individual narratives; it exemplifies UCI’s steadfast commitment to fostering upward mobility. As UCI garners accolades for its role in advancing social mobility, SAGE remains at the forefront, paving a path of possibility for high-achieving students from underserved backgrounds. Your support has been the bedrock upon which dreams are realized, a force that propels students from diverse backgrounds in a shared pursuit of success.

As we share the highlights of 2022-23, the echo of achievement resounds, underscoring our shared success. Amidst celebrations, it is the sense of community that resonates most profoundly. Our scholars, in their pursuit of excellence, have fostered an environment of camaraderie, resilience, and mutual upliftment, standing strong against the isolating backdrop of our times.

Together, we strive towards a future of brilliance and possibility, united by purpose. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to each partner, supporter, and individual who plays a vital role in shaping the transformative narrative of the UCI SAGE Scholars Program.

With gratitude,

Neda Moayedi Director, SAGE Scholars Program

Four Pillars

The SAGE Scholars Program is guided by four pillars to support and empower students on their diverse career trajectories.

Workforce & Career Readiness

SAGE strives to connect students with year-long, paid internship positions with sponsor corporations or nonprofit organizations. First in class to provide relevant and meaningful work experience, SAGE prepares new generations of global leaders for inclusive excellence.

Leadership & Professional Development

Specialized classes to enhance scholars’ leadership, academic and professional skills. Scholars receive one-on-one career advising that targets the job search process, interviewing skills, and graduate school preparation.

Service Learning

SAGE Scholars participate in community service projects across the UC Irvine campus and in the local Orange County area. The purpose of the SAGE-sponsored service learning projects is to instill a culture of civic responsibility among scholars.

Networking

SAGE scholars expand their professional network by establishing connections with SAGE alumni who are employed in various industries and have attended top graduate and professional schools in a variety of fields.

Graduating Scholars at a Glance

SAGE ALUMNI, ALL TIME: 630 | GRADUATION RATE AMONG SAGE SCHOLARS, ALL-TIME: 100%

SAGE Scholars are as diverse, if not more, than the average UCI student, both in terms of ethnicity and lived experiences. Because SAGE Scholars represent every school on campus, the learning cohorts are exposed to and experience different majors and ways of thinking that students siloed in the schools do not. As a result, 37% of SAGE Scholars pursue two or more bachelor’s degrees, whereas only 14% of UCI Pell Grant recipients do.

Ethnicity

3.6378

SAGE Scholars graduated with an average GPA of 3.63 in 2023 and 3.52 in 2022, outpacing UCI students (3.45) and other Pell Grant students (3.41) by a significant margin.

37%

2+ bachelor’s degrees

UCI SAGE SCHOLARS PROGRAM

87%

SAGE Scholars, on average, are 87-88% first generation college students while UCI students, on average, are 60% first generation.

Impactful Events

In the 2022-23 academic year, the SAGE Scholars program hosted dozens of events to encourage and empower students on their academic and career journeys.

Career Readiness Bootcamp

The Career Readiness Bootcamp Series serves as a robust foundation, equipping incoming scholars with the tools to stand out as competitive candidates for internships, research roles, and graduate programs. Through a series of dynamic half-day workshops, scholars delve into the realm of career readiness and the art of crafting impactful application materials. Our tailored approach offers personalized guidance in resume creation, empowering students to navigate the competitive job market with confidence as they pursue internships and research opportunities. The curriculum encompasses crafting compelling resumes, mastering cover letters, honing interview techniques, perfecting elevator pitches, and harnessing the power of LinkedIn for cultivating a robust professional network. This immersive experience is designed to empower scholars with the essential skills and insights needed to excel in their chosen fields.

Impactful Events

Annual SAGE Leadership Summit

SAGE proudly presented its fifth annual Leadership Summit, a highly anticipated gathering that marked a joyous return to in-person interactions within our vibrant SAGE community. Spanning an entire day, this immersive event is meticulously crafted to elevate the leadership acumen of every scholar, fostering essential career readiness skills for the seamless transition from academic life to a fulfilling career. With a resounding emphasis on the theme “Brave Leadership,” this year’s summit impelled scholars to harness their unique strengths, lived experiences, values, influence, and voices, empowering them to epitomize the ethos of navigating the world with unwavering courage and audacious leadership. The event also welcomed SAGE alum speaker Daniel Ascencio, who shared his journey through UCI, overcoming mental health challenges, post-grad employment, and finding joy in his career.

Financial Literacy

Part of the SAGE curriculum focuses on the importance of financial literacy. A notable collaboration with SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union provided a pivotal three-part financial literacy series. This partnership underscores our commitment to empower underserved scholars with essential financial skills, crucial for upward social mobility. Covering topics like budgeting, credit score comprehension, and making significant purchases like a first car or home, this initiative reinforces our dedication to equipping students with tools for economic resilience and a promising future.

This year, the SAGE Scholars program also partnered with UCI Division of Career Pathways to deliver a session on “Negotiating Salary and Evaluating Job Offers.” In a challenging job market, this initiative proved instrumental in empowering our scholars to secure top competitive wages. By equipping them with essential negotiation skills, we ensured their ability to navigate the professional landscape with confidence and achieve financial success.

“In my family, I will be the first one to work towards a degree higher than a bachelor’s degree. Because of that, it has been difficult for me to build my knowledge and confidence while proceeding with graduate school applications. However, being a part of SAGE has equipped me with the skills to market myself competitively. In particular, SAGE has allowed me to improve my interviewing skills, solidify my elevator pitch, update my professional wardrobe, and become more familiar with the practice of negotiation. Besides that, SAGE has also taught me basic life skills, such as budgeting and how to finance a car. To me, SAGE has been a lodestar. I had a dream and a destination, but no idea what direction I should take. SAGE provided me with the means and the guidance to point me on my path.”

— Trami Ngo, SAGE Scholar

New Partnerships and Collaborations

In the dynamic landscape of education and empowerment, partnerships and collaborations emerge as pivotal catalysts that ignite a transformative journey for our students. These alliances are more than mere connections. They represent pathways to enriched experiences, diverse perspectives, and unparalleled growth. These partnerships stand as a testament to our commitment to crafting a holistic, innovative, and impactful educational ecosystem that propels our scholars toward a future adorned with possibilities.

“Being a SAGE Scholar exposed me to different opportunities such as volunteering, scholarship, and internship opportunities. I was introduced to Nihon Kohden America (NKA) where I interned in the Quality Assurance department. … My experience at Nihon Kohden helped me prepare to work in a professional work environment and this internship would not have been possible without the SAGE Program.”

— Gabriella Djuarna, SAGE Scholar

PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT

Nihon Kohden Digital Health Solutions (NKDHS)

Through our new partnership with NKDHS, we collaborated for a networking and volunteer event in November 2022 — as well as welcomed President & CEO Harsh Dharwad, a champion of the SAGE Scholars Program, as our keynote speaker at the Annual SAGE Leadership Summit. NKDHS has also committed to bringing on an intern for the summer, providing financial support for a scholarship and program support.

COLLABORATION HIGHLIGHT OC Fellows

Known for “Recognizing and Developing Orange County’s Future Business Leaders,” OC Fellows is a valued collaborator that shares in SAGE’s mission and vision to create a strong diverse pipeline into the workplace. Together, we hosted a networking event to connect current OC Fellows and SAGE Scholars across industries and to be part of a group of diverse rising professionals in Orange County.

Networking

A key aspect of the SAGE Scholars Program, networking opportunities are a vital component of the scholar experience — allowing students to build their professional connections, gain beneficial knowledge and guidance, and explore the possibilities for future careers.

SPOTLIGHT UCI OC Alliance

The UCI OC Alliance hosted its annual networking and mentoring event, where our scholars engaged with influential community leaders eager to impart wisdom and offer mentorship. Through this invaluable opportunity, our scholars cultivated impactful connections, honed their elevator pitches, articulated their aspirations, and fortified their professional networks.

SPOTLIGHT SAGE Peer Mentoring Program

The SAGE Peer Mentoring Program plays a pivotal role to ensure a seamless integration and support system for incoming students. Peer-led by dedicated SAGE Ambassadors, this initiative offers individualized mentorship — encouraging holistic well-being, professional development, a sense of belonging, and a robust support network. This comprehensive approach enhances the undergraduate experience within the SAGE Scholars Program and at UCI. This year alone, our SAGE Ambassadors hosted six community events to foster community.

“This program has provided me with a network thanks to the workshops, guest speakers, and events hosted. … I have joined a community of like-minded individuals who work hard to support each other.”

— Paulina Pizano, SAGE Scholar

Scholar Profile

Jessica Cai: Advancing Education Research

SAGE Scholar Jessica Cai graduated in the UCI Class of 2023 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in education sciences and English, and a double minor in Chinese studies and business.

While an undergraduate, Cai made the most of her time at the university. She served as a research assistant and instructional designer for online courses in the UCI School of Education’s Science of Learning (SOL) Lab, a collaborative research group that explores the development of human thinking and learning, to investigate children’s cognitive development, reasoning skills, and learning in dynamic, complex, everyday settings.

“Jessica’s exceptional work ethic and indefatigable eagerness to explore, coupled with her heightened capacity to operate at high levels, made her uniquely qualified to immediately join the SOL Lab,” said Lindsey Richland, School of Education professor and associate dean of graduate programs.

Cai played an integral role in the planning, filming, and editing of a project designing and videotaping

Common Core math curriculum instruction. The results are helping to serve Title I elementary students in various Orange County school districts.

“That was such a great opportunity to dive deeper into education tech,” Cai said. “I got to work with some really cool gadgets and cameras, even using Final Cut Pro for the first time and doing a little bit of coding. It’s all about finding the best ways to support children’s learning development and get to higher-order thinking.”

Cai received extensive training in the lab on instructional design and educational media production from her peer mentor, Joseph Wong. She also brought plenty of her own experience, which enabled her to both grasp the highly conceptual learning pedagogies being employed in the project, and manage and troubleshoot the actual filming.

Cai also supported research focused on learning how people learn and how educators can make learning easier; and served an internship with McGraw Hill, the educational publisher and ed tech industry giant.

Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI

Service Learning: SAGE in the Community

Our scholars made meaningful contributions to local nonprofits by volunteering at least 10 hours per quarter. Giving back provides our scholars a platform to become change agents and develop closer ties to their community. Our scholars volunteered at nonprofits that combat social challenges in their community. Some examples include ending homelessness, bringing cultural awareness and diversity to communities, tutoring low-income students, and addressing food insecurities for families and individuals in need.

This year, SAGE hosted a collective Service Learning Project and partnered with Bolsa Chica Conservancy. Thirty-five of our scholars provided hands-on restoration in affected wetlands, and learned about wetland science, watersheds, coastal ecology, and environmental sustainability.

Other sites where students volunteered:

• Unearth & Empower Communities

• Gracie’s Giving Hands

• Letters Against Isolation

• Family Resource Center

• Sycamore Magnet Academy

• Lestonnac

• Warm Up America

• Free Rice

• Second Harvest Food Bank

• Alma Science Academy

• Prison Pandemic Project

• Breast Cancer Awareness

• Compton Initiative Project

• St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church

• Fountain Valley Regional Hospital

• Human Options-Shelter

• OC Parks

• UPchieve

• Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement

• UCI UROP Undergraduate Research Symposium

• UCI Math CEO

• CSOC at UCI

• UCI Center of Investment and Wealth Management

• UCI Fresh Hub

Graduate Testimonials

Alicia Felix

“I would like to give a special thank you to those involved in providing me with a SAGE scholarship and paid internship. I could not be more grateful for the support you all gave my SAGE family and me. I genuinely wish more students had the opportunity to be a part of a program such as SAGE because I don’t think many people have supportive mentors. SAGE has been there for me throughout my graduate school application process to help refine cover letters, resumes, and personal statements. SAGE supported me by providing letters of recommendation that proudly represent me as a student. ... None of this would have been possible without the support of our partners, sponsors, and donors. Thank you again for your support.”

FACTS

• Pursuing a master’s degree in school psychology at San Francisco State University

• Served as the children’s program intern at Human Options, providing trauma-informed care to children of families fleeing domestic violence through activities that increase social and emotional development

• Served as an idea exchange group facilitator for an HIV/AIDs fundamentals course for the School of Public Health at UC Irvine

• Participated as the audio editing team lead for prison pandemic research for the School of Social Ecology at UC Irvine

Christina Liu

“As a first-generation college student, my experience in SAGE is extremely meaningful to me. I never could have imagined interning at a medical device company in a technical position without the support of SAGE. Thank you for supporting the SAGE Scholars Program at UC Irvine. Your support has allowed me to develop professionally and personally. I was able to develop important skills, like interviewing skills and resume writing, in order to develop confidence in finding internships and full-time employment. I also now know how to navigate job searching and networking events. Through SAGE, I’ve developed confidence in getting outside of my comfort zone and paving my own path to success. Thanks so much!”

FACTS

• Accepted a position as an associate software development engineer in test at Inari Medical

• Development/test engineer intern at Inari Medical

• Information technology intern at Inari Medical, improving company security and ease of access by integrating Meraki with Okta single sign-on (SSO)

• Active volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your support of the SAGE Program. Over these past two years of being a part of this community, I’ve learned life skills and perspectives that have changed me fundamentally as a person. From networking and career planning to buying a house and maintaining a budget, acquiring this invaluable knowledge has made me more confident than ever about where my life is going. I’ve also learned the importance of giving back and have developed a strong desire to give back to others the same way y’all have to us. Thank you so much for your support of the SAGE Program and for being a part of the individuals who have changed my life.”

FACTS

• Accepted a position as an actuarial analyst at Milliman

• Interned as an actuarial analyst with Millman, an actuarial consulting company

• Served as a director of Vision Leadership, a program that focuses on leadership and professional development through advocacy projects

• Conducted mathematical research in the field of combinatorics

“I would like to sincerely thank you all for your most generous contributions to this program and for providing us with these donations that have been a tremendous help to impact us scholars. SAGE is my community, and I am so grateful to be a part of this program. When I first started at the beginning of 2022, I had never held a real job before and lacked a sense of who I was , my resume and cover letter were a bit lackluster. Since being in SAGE, I have been able to revise my resume which got me an internship with SAGE corporate sponsor, Parker Aerospace, as a Human Resource Intern. Thank you for helping fund this program that brings incredible speakers who share incredible wisdom and offer us advice that we will carry with us after we graduate. I am thankful for your aid as it creates a space for low-income students who are high achievers to find support with their professional development. Thank you again!”

FACTS

• Accepted a position in Human Resource at Parker Aerospace

• Served as a Human Resource Intern at Parker Aerospace

• Participated as the Event Coordinator for the Public Health Mentor Program

• Served as a SAGE Ambassador and facilitate quarterly events to increase engagement School

Daniel Quiñonez

Caroline Yan

Bright Future for SAGE Scholars

All-time organizations include:

• Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences

• AbbVie

• Apple

• Bank of America

• Beckman Coulter

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire

• Boeing

• BroadCom

• Cisco

• Deloitte

• Edwards Lifesciences

• EY

• Ford

• Girls Inc. of Orange County

• Google

• Hitachi

• Hoag

• Human Options

• Intel

• JPMorgan Chase & Co.

• Kaiser Permanente

• KellerWilliams

• KPMG

• Merrill

• NBCUniversal

• Northrop Grumman

• Pacific Life

• Parker Aerospace

• P&G

• PwC

• Qualcomm

• Raytheon Technologies

• Riot Games

• Ronald McDonald House Charities

• Skyworks

• Southern California Edison

• Target

• TGR Foundation

• Thales

• Toyota

• Twitter

• UBS

• UCI Health

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security

• Verizon

• Wells Fargo

• Western Digital

• Yahoo!

From Fortune 500 companies to impactful national nonprofits, graduates of the SAGE Scholars Program have gone on to work at prestigious companies all over the world. These are some of the organizations where our graduates have accepted positions this year: Watch

“I am incredibly thankful for all the tools and support that the SAGE Scholars Program has provided me, which have been integral to my success in securing a fulltime position as a Computer Systems Validation Engineer with PSC Biotech. The CLAOC Career Exploration Experience with Edwards Lifesciences program was a great opportunity to network with young professionals and receive mentorship during my interviewing, negotiating, and onboarding process for PSC Biotech. Thank you for this unique opportunity!”

— Anganette Cisneros, SAGE Scholar

Sponsors

Thank you to the many sponsors of the SAGE Scholars Program over the years. Your contributions help in providing programming, resources, and inspiration to the future leaders of Orange County.

SAGE Scholars’ First Planned Gift Endowment

In the 2022-23 school year, the SAGE Scholars Program announced a $450,000 planned gift endowment from UCI alumnus Christopher Wilson and wife, Sherryl Wilson, which will advance student success for undergraduates. Designed to strengthen the pipeline of diverse students entering the workforce, the funding will primarily support scholarships for the program’s students, all identified as underserved based on their high financial need, with a portion available to support SAGE Scholars Program components.

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